Fair play
on the pitch and in life
is the basis
Find out more

Football3 is a unique way of playing football, it is based on the premise that the basic values of fair play, gender equality, teamwork and respect are just as important as football skills. Named after its ‘three halves’ – a pre-match discussion, football game, and postmatch discussion – football3 incorporates key life lessons into every match. In mixed-gender teams, players collectively decide on the rules before the game. Following the match, they reflect on their behaviour and the behaviour of their opponents, with points awarded for goals as well as for fair play. As football3 is played without referees, players must learn how to resolve conflicts themselves through dialogue and compromise.

The idea of the game developed in Medellin, Colombia, as a memorial to Andres Escobar, a player brutally murdered by the Medellin cartel as retaliation for having scored an own goal in 1994 US World Cup which contributed to the team's elimination from the tournament. Football3 has been further developed by streetfootballworld network members around the world into a comprehensive methodology to address a range of social topics, such as gender equality, health and peacebuilding.